What happened
On December 8, 2020, a Cessna U-206G, registration OB-1722, operated by Aero Palcazu S.A.C., was performing a medical evacuation flight from San Lorenzo to the Palmiche landing strip in the Loreto region of Peru. The flight crew, consisting of the pilot and a nurse, arrived at the landing strip after a 15-minute flight under visual flight rules (VFR).
During the landing sequence, the pilot executed a normal approach with 30 degrees of flaps at a speed between 7 and 80 knots. Although the aircraft initially touched down at the beginning of Landing Strip 29, the surface was covered in mud and puddles due to recent heavy rainfall. Upon contact, the aircraft experienced an uncontrolled skid to the left. The pilot was unable to maintain directional control, causing the aircraft to exit the landing strip boundaries and strike nearby vegetation. The impact damaged the left wingtip, the empennage, and the vertical stabilizer. The aircraft then veered sharply to the right, causing the nose gear to collapse and the propeller to strike the ground. The aircraft came to a stop 90 degrees from its original heading. There were no injuries to the two occupants.
The investigation
The CIAA investigation established that the landing strip in Palmiche lacks air traffic control and meteorological services, placing the responsibility for weather assessment on the pilot. The investigation found that the pilot had not previously operated at this specific landing strip and that the operator had not designated the site as a special operation requiring specific training or check-rides. Furthermore, the investigation noted that communication with the company's local coordinator in Palmiche was limited, which prevented the pilot from learning about the degraded surface conditions caused by the rain prior to arrival.